Freight car underframing or the like



Aug. 6, 1935.

G. T. JOHNSON FREIGHT CAR UNDERFRAMING OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 7, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 G G S G N JH IIIlTli Aug. 6, 1935. G. 'r. JOHNSON FREIGHT CAR UNDERFRAMING OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. '7, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 6, 1935. G. T. JOHNSON FREIGHT CAR UNDERFRAMING on THE LIKE Filed Aug. 7, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 H II Aug. 6, 1935.

G. T. JOHNSON FREIGHT CAR UNDERFRAMING OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. '7, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwuentow 1 I. IIIIIlIIIIIIIIII/ Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George T. Johnson, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Application 'August 7, 1929, Serial No. 384,143

11 Claims. (Cl. 105-415) This invention relates to improvements in freight car underframing or the like, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a metal car underframing, which is lighter in weight, but stronger in construction, than the built up type of underframing now generally used; and to eliminate the gathering together, and the connection of a multiplicity of parts.

The generally accepted construction of freight car underframing consists principally of rolled sheets, shapes and pressings, which are riveted together. However, the combined striker and draft lugs, and the combined back stop and center brace are steel castings, riveted to the center 15 sill channels. The center plate and the body side bearings are also usually steel castings. With such a construction, the shank of the car coupler is attached to the draft yoke, (which is arranged within the center sill), by means of a key which moves in slots in the center sill and striker casting.

An objection to the underframe construction referred to is that in service, the rivets loosen, due to impacts and other variations of loading, allowing the connected parts to slip relatively to each other, thus destroying the rigidity of the underframe, and greatly impairing its strength. As a result, the car body proper resting thereon, becomes racked and sags, due to the inadequancy of its underframe; that is, its backbone, so as to require major repairs and replacements.

This built-up construction is also expensive to assemble, since there are many different pieces forming elements of the assembly, and all must be fitted together satisfactorily; this involving a heavy labor charge. Furthermore, as the structure is made up mainly of thin-rolledsheets and shapes, it is more likely to crumple under unusual heavy blows, than if formed in an integral construction. However, it is impractical to simply substitute a single casting for the center sill and body bolsters, as such a structure would be too bulky and too heavy to be properly handled.

The principal function of the center sill, is to provide a backbone for receiving and transmitting the endwise forces of train movement, and not, as commonly supposed, to carry the weight of the car body and lading, though it does this to some extent. A large portion of the lading weight resting upon the car floor is carried by the car sides and side sills to the ends of the body bolsters, and thence to the trucks direct via the center plates. The body bolster is, therefore, a very important member, normally supported at its center, but ofttimes partly at the side bearings. New cars are built with a clearance between the body side bear ings and the side bearings of the trucks, so that under sway, only one side bearing of a truck is loaded. Any appreciable sagging or permanent distortion of a body bolster obliterates the side bearing clearance, and transmits the load simul- 5 tanecusly to both side bearings of a truck. This sometimes causes derailments on curves, since under these conditions, the trucks cannot swivel freely.

Another object of the present invention is to 10 eliminate the above mentioned objections, and this is brought about mainly by making each end portion of the car underframing as in integral casting. Each said casting comprising an end portion of the center sill, and one of the body bolsters, and these two castings being preferably connected by novel means to a center sill medial portion of the built-up type.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of my improved casting, partially broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and with certain parts shown in full lines instead of dotted lines, to facilitate disclosure of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of one end of the body bolster portion of the casting.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of casting.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the same, on

the line 'l-l of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 8--8 of Fig. 7, and with certain parts shown in full lines instead of dotted lines.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, my improved casting is of cruci-form shape with the arms A and B of the casting constituting a part of the center sill of the underframing, and the oppositely extending arms C (only one of which is shown), forming the main por'tions of one of the body bolsters. The portion A is of inverted U-shape and terminates in an integral striker I, which is located forwardly of the integral draft lugs 2. The key slots are shown at 2a, and they are preferably bordered by an integral flange 2b which merges into the draft lugs 2.

The back stop lugs 3 are also an integral part of my casting, and they merge into the walls and roof of the arm A of the casting.

At the point of intersection of the arms, the integral hollow center post Al is positioned, and this merges at its lower end into the center plate 5. The rearwardly extending arm B of the casting forms means, for'use in riveting the casting to the usual center sill construction which may be retained from one body bolster to the other.

Each arm C of the body bolster I is preferably of box-section, and from the floor of each arm depends a lug or integral side bearing 8 that is designed to cooperate with one of the side bearings on the truck, not shown, on which the underframing is mounted. The end of each bolster arm, as shown at 9, is shaped to fit one of the side sills I5 (see Fig. 3), and is provided with apertures 9a, to receive the rivets employed in joining the body bolster to the side sills.

It will be noted that in this construction, many overlappings at connections, such as used in the built-up type of car underframing, have been eliminated, thus reducing weight without impairing the strength. Furthermore, the arm A of the casting is of the same general shape as the endv portion of the ordinary built-up center sill, and takes the standard coupler, yoke, key, etc. As a matter of fact, the casting as a whole, can be made to interchange exactly with the standard A. R. A. dimensions.

In general, the walls and other surfaces of which the casting consists, are thicker than those of the built-up construction, but are not so extensive and numerous. There is a minimum of overlapping, and lightening holes are used where the metal is not needed for strength. As a result, the casting is of lighter weight than the built-up construction, but it is nevertheless stronger and much more rigid. The metal thicknesses being greater, it is not so quickly weakened by corrosion as the built-up type.

In my improved casting, ribs Ill integrally unite the arms A and C at the corners, and not only strengthen the casting in that vicinity, but serve as means of making connection with the usual corner braces (not shown). The ribs are provided with rivet apertures Illa for this purpose.

The central portion of the casting is also reinforced by vertical ribs II and Ila, which radiate from the axis of the center post 4 and transmit the load diagonally outwardly and upwardly to the four re-entrant corners, and yet leave a relatively large space I2 available for riveting a cover plate I3 of the built-up portion of the center sill, to the casting, through the hole I4, which is provided in the roof of the casting. Likewise, four holes I la, Mb, Mc-and Md, in each arm of the body bolster, make it easy to rivet the cover plate I3, side sills I 5, and side bearing wearing plates I6, to the casting. The holes I4a, Mb, Me and Id are provided with reinforcing border beads Me, and the beads of the apertures Ma, Idb and I40 merge into vertical ribs I if which reinforce the side bearing of the body bolster.

The back stop lugs 3 are reinforced by a horizontal bridge or web I! which extends rearwardly from these lugs, and merges into the center post 4, and the reinforcing ribs I I and I Ia.

For the purpose of reinforcing the striker I and strengthening the structure as a whole, the arm A is provided at its lower edges with out- ,and the attendant bending stresses.

wardly extending flanges I8 which extend from the striker to the front walls IBa of the arms C.

The connection to the built-up portion of the center sill extending from body bolster to body bolster, is so arranged that the webs I9 of the I-beams forming the built-up portion of the center sill, abut at their ends against lugs 20 which are formed as continuations of the vertical walls H of the center sill portion of the casting. Thus, the endwise forces of the cars are transmitted straight through without any offsetting, It should also be noticed that the vertical rear walls 22 of the arms of the body bolster bend around on a large radius, to become the vertical longitudinally extending walls 22a of the arm B for receiving the rivets 22b, which connect the arms C to the webs of the beams I9. To avoid wads of metal, grooves 23 are arranged between the lugs 20. Openings 24 in the ribs II, adjacent the lugs 20 are provided for the same purpose.

The ends of the flanges I911 of the beams I9 abut against the lug continuations 25 of the casting, which wrap around underneath the sides 22a of the arm B, thus providing additional bearing,

The portion of the casting to which the builtup center sill rivets is formed in a rugged boxshape, as shown at 26, for spacing the parts and keeping them in correct position for resisting the loads imposed upon them, and it will be noted,

especially from Fig. 2, that the roof of the casting has a depression I3a in its rear portion to permit counter sinking of the portion of the cover plate I3, which overlaps the rear portion of the casting.

While the above described embodiment of the invention includes four arms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that only three arms may be used if desired. For example, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the casting may comprise only a center sill arm A, and two oppositely extending body bolster arms C. In such a structure, suitable means will be provided to facilitate the joining of the built-up portion of the center sill to the casting. In this form of the invention, the rear wall I22 extends straight through from one end to the other of the body bolster, providing a vertical plane surface against which the built up portion of the center sill abuts. This wall is reinforced at the center line by means of vertical ribs I23 and I23a, the latter merging at its forward end into the hollow center post 4a. The longitudinal vertical walls I2I of the casting are arranged at right angles to the rear wall I22, and also reinforce the latter. It will be noted that the walls I2I are in direct alignment with the webs II9 of the I-beams of the center sills, the same as in Fig. 1. In place of the rear arm, this casting has two channelshaped wings I24, which project rearwardly from the wall I22, and fit against the outside of the I-beams; and a separate substantially boxshaped casting or stiffener I25 fits between the I-beams and against the wall I22. These parts, as well as the cover plate II3, are all riveted together to form a rigid whole, the stiffener casting aiding very materially in assuring the rigidity.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantages of the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure Patent is: I v

1. In a car underframing having body bolsters, in combination with a center sill extending from body bolster to body bolster, a one piece metal member forming a plurality of arms, certain of said arms forming one of said body bolsters and another one of saidarms forming an end portion of the center sill of the underframing, means positioned inwardly of said body portion for rigidly connecting said member and center sill, and lugs on said member which abut the end of the center sill.

2. In car underframing, a casting comprising arms forming a body bolster and a portion of the underframing center sill, said arms merging into one another, and the casting being provided at the place of merging with a centerpost and radiating reinforcing ribs, the ribs merging into the center post.

3. In car underframing, a casting comprising arms forming a body bolster and a portion of the underframing center sill, said arms merging into one another, and the casting being provided at the place of merging with a center post and reinforcing ribs, certain of the ribs being apertured by Letters to prevent wadding of the metal.

4. In car underframing, a multi-armed casting forming a body bolster and a portion of a center sill, a hollow center post at the point of intersection of the arms, and reinforcing ribs radiating from the center post to the side walls of the arms.

5. In car underframing, a multi-armed casting forming a body bolster and the end portion of a center sill, a horizontally disposed reinforcing web arranged at the point of intersection of the arms, a hollow center post arranged at said intersection and having its upper end merging into said web, and reinforcing ribs radiating from the center post to walls of the arms.

6. In car underframing, a multi-armed metal casting forming'a body bolster and the end portion of a center sill, the arm forming the portion of the center sill being provided with vertical walls, a built-up center sill portion joined to said casting and including beams having vertical webs arranged in alignment with said walls, said casting and beams having abutting flanges arranged at the lower edges of the beams, and rivets connecting said flanges.

'7. In car underframing, a multi-armed metal casting forming a body bolster and. the end portion of a center sill, the arm forming the portion of the center sill being provided with vertical walls, a center post arranged in the casting where the arms intersect and a built-up center sill portion joined to said casting and including beams having vertical webs arranged in alignment with said walls, the casting having transverse abutment surfaces arranged rearwardly of the center post and against which the ends of the beams abut.

8. In car underframing, a multi-armed metal casting forming a body bolster and the end portion of a center sill, the center sill forming arm being provided with an integral striker, 'draft lugs and back stop lugs, the casting including integral reinforcements joining the bottom of the striker to the body bolster, and other integral lugs arranged within thecasting and joining the back stop lugs to the body bolster.

9. In a car underframing, a one-piece metal member forming a plurality of arms, certain of said arms forming a body bolster, and another one of the arms forming an end portion of the center sill of the underframing, and an inverted channel-shaped stifi'ener united with said member and projecting from the same in a direction opposite to the last mentioned arm, said stiffener having inwardly extending flanges at its bottom provided with rivet holes.

10. In a car underframing, a one-piece metal member forming cross arms and a forwardly projecting arm, the forwardly projecting arm being of inverted channel-shape and provided at its forward end with an integral annular striker, each side of the forwardly projecting arm having a key slot and provided with front and rear stop lugs, each slot having a reinforcing border merging into the forward stop lug of that side of the forwardly projecting arm, a tubular center post arranged within said member at the point where the arms intersect, a horizontal internal reinforcing rib joining the top of the post to the sides of the forwardly extending arm, and extensions joining said rib to said rear stop lugs.

11. In a car underframing, in combination with a vertical webbed center sill extending from body bolster to body bolster, a one piece metal member forming a plurality of arms, certain of said arms forming a body bolster, and another one of the arms forming an end portion of the center sill of the underframing, means for rigidly connecting said member and center sill so formed and rabbeted that the vertical webs of the center sill are in direct alignment with the vertical walls of the end portion of said member.

GEORGE 'r. JOHNSON. 

